Kashiwa Sato's distinctive Japanese design sensibility
Kashiwa Sato, Creative Director and longtime Uniqlo employee, is one of the most revered creative minds in Japan. Here he discusses the evolution of his nose-to-tail approach to design, which encompasses everything from communication to interior
It is not surprising that Japan is often hailed as the home of good design. Simple but refined and functional but aesthetically pleasing, the country's unique design aesthetic is present everywhere, from public spaces to food packaging, while Japanese brands like Muji are equally popular around the world.
One of the reasons for some of Japan's best-known exports over the past few decades is Kashiwa Sato, a designer known for his work with Honda, fashion designer Issey Miyake, and Uniqlo, his longest-standing client and high street favorite. The designer not only ran his own design studio Samurai for the past 20 years, but also taught as a visiting professor at Tama Art University in Tokyo and even acted as a cultural ambassador for the Japanese government.
One of the Uniqlo stores in Tokyo
Sato grew up in Tokyo in the 1960s and first met the creative sector through his father, who worked as an architect. “The first floor of my parents' home, designed by my father, was a large room with no walls or partitions, loosely separated by furniture and lighting, and I loved the atmosphere it created. I've loved drawing since I was a child, and whenever I found a piece of paper, whether it was my father's drawings for his work or a newspaper, I drew on it, ”he says.